Iraqi Army Plans Attack to Retake Mosul: Top Officer

Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Joint Forces General Babaker Zebari said a looming military operation is on the agenda to retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group.

“Mosul is part of Iraq and will be soon cleansed of the terrorist groups,” Zebari said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday.The general, however, declined to specify a date for the planned strike.He also noted that Iraq’s military and security forces will undergo significant and sweeping changes following the past year’s developments and the ISIL invasion of areas in northern and western Iraq.ISIL militants made swift advances in much of northern and western Iraq over the summer, after capturing large swaths of northern Syria.On June 10, the ISIL militants seized control of Mosul, a city of 2 million population.They have been committing heinous crimes in the areas they have taken, including the mass execution of civilians as well as Iraqi army troops and officers.The ISIL terrorists